A Muse on Privilege

The majority of families in the United States today value education. The parents want their child to graduate high school, go to college, and get a job to finally live independently.

There are often cases, however, when a child is unable to attend college due to financial situations.

I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to attend an out-of-state, top private college. My parents had signed me up for dozens and dozens of SAT classes, spent money on prep books, and made sure I was well-fed. I remember those days I took everything for granted, too occupied with questions such as “Why did my crush ask another girl to homecoming?” and “Does my hair look okay for school?”

To put it in Twitter hashtag form: #FirstWorldProblems

Recently, I’ve met people who have had incredible life stories. They grew up in disadvantaged households and couldn’t afford college tuition, hence not able to obtain a college education. But the crazy thing is their perseverance. They never let real life stop them from satisfying their goals. Some of them went on to community college while balancing work and family. They all went on to become some of the most respectful people I can say I have met to date.

After meeting these people, I know I must reevaluate my entire purpose. Okay, that sounds cliched, but it’s true. I cannot honestly say I am even half as propelled as these people, even with the golden opportunity presented to me on a silver platter. At least, I don’t feel as if I’m propelled enough.

To be fair though, we don’t know if those people will act the same if they had better circumstances. And to be fair to the many students out there in my boat, who’s to say we wouldn’t be just as dedicated if we had been placed into lesser circumstances?

The answer: we can’t tell. It’s impossible to know. That’s like saying, If I was born in Newton’s time, I would have been the one to discover the Laws of Motion!

We can’t compare apples to oranges to lemons to grapes. I don’t know how to neatly package everything into a tidy line that states the moral of the story. There’s a deeper abyss going on that intertwines everything about society and nature, and I plan to philosophize sometime soon. As for now, it’s just a muse.